Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः समहोरगकिन्नराः । ऊचुः पितामहं गत्वा किमेतत्कारणं विभो

Transliteration

tato devāḥ sagandharvāḥ samahoragakinnarāḥ | ūcuḥ pitāmahaṃ gatvā kimetatkāraṇaṃ vibho

Translation

Alors les dieux—avec les Gandharvas, les grands serpents et les Kinnaras—s’approchèrent de Pitāmaha (Brahmā) et dirent : «Ô Seigneur, quelle est la cause de cela ?»

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• sa-gandharvāḥ: together with the Gandharvas
• sa-gandharvāḥ: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (सह) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः 'गन्धर्वैः सह' (with the Gandharvas)

• sa-maha-uraga-kinnarāḥ: together with great serpents and Kinnaras
• sa-maha-uraga-kinnarāḥ: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (सह) + mahā + uraga + kinnara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः 'महोरगैः किन्नरैश्च सह' (with great serpents and Kinnaras)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• pitāmaham: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having gone'

• kim: what
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to kāraṇam)

• kāraṇam: cause/reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्ने कर्मरूपे

• vibho: O Lord
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Devas (collectively) addressing Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (probable)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial procession—devas with Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Kinnaras—arrive at Brahmā’s luminous court, hands folded, asking the cause of the upheaval.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Mahoragas
• Kinnaras
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When disorder appears in the world, the wise seek the root-cause through divine counsel rather than panic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha) is the narrative setting within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces inquiry and divine consultation.